Gone is Not Forgotten for Bert

by Gerd Stern

when you’ve got to go
it’s a pisser of a when
not just you won’t stay
can’t, that is, however
will you be going now
here, there, whenever
hit, rush, flash, on
suddenly, necessarily
given orders to comply
with balance of payments
for do not commandments

if ten are, were enough
making minyan concensus
for thou shalt not commit
instead of better not do
whatever good goes unpunished
close mouthed, open quoted
on poppa’s one  -way phone
and we can’t call you back
to heal undercover scars
careless love prohibitions
saved message folders
dialing artifactual remembrance
coincident synchronicity

forgot to forgotten
crossed lines, wires, ideas
direction beaming up stars
face opposite dark corners
cojunct intersected crossroads
as out of sight family icons

mindless, off the board, pawns
waiting impatiently for end game
to start over, to return reborn